Maximum Ride: The final battle
by Emotionally Insecure
Summary: Max and her flock are at it again in this version of Maximum Ride 6. takes place after MAX, and contains a lot of FAX. They find themselves in lots of 'safe' houses, and working for the FBI! wow! read and review...
1. The Voice

_Crash!_ "Iggy, Gazzy…you do it again and I take bombs for a month!" I screamed as they, yet again, threw a bottle into the fire. It was filled with…a gross substance, to cause the fire to explode. Fang was sitting next to me and I caught glimpse of a spark in his hair…crap. I snapped my hand out and began to brush it off…not realizing what I was doing. "Max…what're you doing?" I finally just picked it out, burning my fingers. "You had a, um, spark in your hair." _Your shiny and totally amazing hair. _"Thanks." He smirked. The voice made a chuckling sound, _you're crazy about that boy Max…it's getting too obvious. _He trailed off.

"Shut up!" I screamed. The entire flock stared at me. "Um…the voice is-I'll be right back!" I shot up and took off running through the trees. When I stopped at a really big one I flew to the highest branch. "What are you talking about?!" I was yelling in hushed whispers. _Max, Max, you know you love Fang! Just don't pick the him over the flock in an emergency…_ He did that trailing off thing again…I really hate that. "What are you-." I stopped. He was right…in a certain emergency I would actually have to choose a flock member over another someday. Meaning…one would die.

Well…let me think, Iggy and Fang, Fang, Nudge and Fang, Fang, Gazzy and Fang, Fang, Angel and Fang…Fang. I would pick Fang and I knew it. I screamed a really loud, girly, Damsel-in-Distress-sounding, scream. When I hit my head on the branch I went falling down, down, and down. I hit the ground, and just lay there…thinking about the pain, mental and physical. A tear rolled down my cheek and onto the ground…mostly from frustration, not pain…I swear.

"Max? Max!" Fang ran up to me and leaned over me. "What happened?" He demanded worriedly. I groaned and rolled on my side. "Would you tell me if I kissed you?" I groaned again and rolled toward him. He was leaning forward, and almost kissed me…until I pushed him away. "Fang this won't work. I know…I know- I know that you know how I feel…and I really will never know how you feel…but-." I couldn't go on…I mean…why couldn't I go on? "But…" He urged. "It's just that…what if there was an emergency? And-and, it was you and some other flock member? I wouldn't want to choose you to save just because you're my…my…" I couldn't say it. I just wasn't strong enough to say it. I was so weak…and I hated it. "Your boyfriend?" I nodded, another tear making it's way down my cheek.

He didn't know what to say, and neither did I. So I made something up, "I'm sorry. The voice just…he told me to be careful and I figured I'd have to do something about it…Fang I…I just don't know anymore." He caught the tear with his finger. "Max…I know you. You'll make the right choice, and I'm not talking about then. I'm talking about now. You know me, and you know that I'll always be your best friend, no matter what you choose. I can tell you how I feel about you, right here, right now. Just say the word." I looked down. I ddin't want to know, but I did so badly. "Okay." Biggest mistake of my life…and that's bold, judging by how many I've made.

"Maximum Ride, I love you…I love you more than anything I've ever loved. I've never loved a different girl…not the slightest bit, especially with you still around. And I want to be your boyfriend…I have wanted this since we turned twelve and I realized how amazing you were in every way. It hurts to think that stupid voice in your head is ruining it for me after just a couple weeks, but I will go along with whatever you do…only because I love you and I want you to love me back." I stared at him, mouth slightly agape, words forming in my shortened mind.

"Now that you know how I feel…I'm not quite sure how you feel." I stared at him. "Well, the first time I kissed you it was an accident, and it made things weird. The second time we kissed I got scared…I loved it, but I was scared…just like I am now. Honestly, I flew to a nearby landing and cried for the rest of the night. The third time we kissed I admitted I loved it to myself, like I never had before, but I got scared again. I flew home and got no sleep. The fourth time we kissed I got scared, but I buried it deep inside and just…went with it. That was the day things changed the most between us. The day Brigid wanted you to go eat with her…I was just mad and I didn't know why. Almost…jealous. And when you…dissed her and dismissed her…it felt good. And we kissed that day too, it was great…then the flyboys ruined it. And in the sub…the sixth time we kissed, I admitted to myself I loved you…more than anything. After everything, we kissed in the air above the ocean…that was one of the most perfect times yet. And I know I love you…like I never did before. But Fang…I'm scared. I feel like…I have to stop loving you…but I can't, and I don't think I ever will." I let a few more tears fall, then I felt two strong arms wrap around my back and pull me into a soft and dark surface…Fang's chest.

I just leaned into him and cried, not heavily or loudly…but gently and silently. "Max…the world is almost saved. I have a feeling it's getting closer. You can do it…and I'll be there right along with you…you can count on it." I sniffled and looked up. His shirt was wet, his eyes were gleaming, and his hair was shining in the moonlight. _Don't listen to him Max…he's just trying to win you over. _"Shut up!" _Listen to me Max! You can't go out with him! _"Excuse me…Max?" I looked down at Fang…I must've hopped up. "Er…give me a second." I smashed my fist against a tree and watched in pleasure as it fell to the ground. Adrenaline rushes…gotta love 'em. The voice shut up…so I was happier.

"Do you want me to talk to it?" I didn't notice Fang standing next to me. "Um…sure." He lowered his lips to my ear…and I shuddered. "Voice…leave Max alone. She's going through enough as it is. I love Max…and you can't take that away."


	2. The Voice's Takeover

Max's eyes glazed over a bit, Fang just stared at her. "Max needs this. You'd better stay away from her…or I'll control her." That voice wasn't Max's. It was a man's voice…slightly scary. "But I love her! Get out of her head!" Fang drew back his fist, but Max's hand caught it. "You hurt me, you hurt Max. So I'd think twice before you do that." Fang's breathing quickened. "Max is strong, but not strong enough to fight me. I've been in her head for a long time, egging her on to just go with what you were doing. Little did she know, I have as much control over her as she did. This is all part of my plans, get her in love, then break her into pieces. The only way to get rid of me is to kill Max…and you wouldn't do that."

Fang watched as the voice made Max's face into a pout. "Where is she?" He demanded harshly. The voice smirked, "She's inside her own head…screaming quite loudly I might add." Max…talking like a man was too weird. Espicially when it wasn't even Max. "Go ahead, fight me Fang!" Max's hand smashed against Fang's cheek. She was stronger than before. "Fight me…if you win, I stay away." Her hand hit him again. "I won't hurt Max!" Fang stepped back as the voice hit him again. "It's not a fight to the death Fang…just a little brawl to get rid of me. First to give up loses."

Fang drew back his fist and hit the voice in his/her stomach. "Ouch, Fang!" It was Max's voice, then she stood up and the voice was back. "Low blow, utterly low blow…here's how you really fight", the voice drew back and punched Fang in the nose, hearing a loud crack as it broke. Blood poured from Fang's face. "Fight me, like I'm an eraser, Fang! You're weak, aren't you? You're doing this for Max!" The voice kicked him, repelling him against a tree.

Fang was mad, knowing that Max could see all of this…him being beaten to a pulp by a voice in her head! "Let…me…at least…talk…to Max." He sighed and stood up. "Fine, but no funny business, and I mean it!" Max's face softened and she gasped. "Oh my god! Fang!" She ran up. "Max…I don't know what to do! Do I fight you-it?!" Max didn't know what to say. As long as the voice was gone, she was happy. "If it gets rid of it, then do it…now!" Her face hardened an her eyes glazed over…again. "Ready?" Fang nodded and got into a stance.

Max-the voice, threw itself at him, but Fang was used to simple moves like this, and sent a kick that sent it flying back. "Have you ever seen me fight, voice? I'm stronger than you!" Fang hit it in the face, almost forgetting it was Max too. It swung a punch that sent Fang rolling backward. Fang puched it in the stomach again, it gagged through Max's lips. "Giving up yet?" Fang asked cruelly, punching it again. "Remember…Max…is…here…" The voice fell back. "It's getting weaker, Fang!" Max cried, but soon lost to the voice after her little break through. _Wham! _ Fang gave one final blow, making it crumple to the ground. "I…must…go…" The voice stood up again and pounced on Fang, but then it kissed him…or rather, Max kissed him. "Thank you, Fang!" She cried. Then rubbed her cheek where Fang had hit her. "You're a really good fighter…sheesh!" Fang knew she could handle the pain, but hated knowing he'd done it to her. "We need to get back." He helped her up and they both limped back to their small camp.

But when the got their, only Angel was left.


	3. Safe House Blues

"Don't worry guys. The CSM took the flock to their newest safe house, and this time it's big enough to fit all of us! They told me to stay here and inform you." She looked us up and down. "What the heck happened?" I looked at Fang, then back at Angel. "Sweetie, you'll find out soon enough…trust me." I released my mind blocks. She gasped and jumped up.

"I guess we should go…and Max, you're right, being inside your head _is_ scary." I frowned, remembering watching the voice and Fang fight while getting a VIP tour of my own thoughts and memories. Yes, it was really scary. We took off, and then I realized we were following Angel, and I wasn't sure if she knew where to go. _Yes I do, don't worry Max. _I smiled at her and looked down. The lights of the city at night were beautiful, and by the way, we're in San Diego, California.

"Hey guys, I think that we should go to Sea World. I can convince them to let us swim with the animals, too!" She pointed below, and I recognized we were flying over Sea World. Did you know that when you're looking down at the place it almost looks more like Blue World? Then I saw something amazing, a black and sleek object leaped from the water. No it's not some water-mobile full of flyboys here to rip us into shreds; yes this is a regular thing I am forced to worry about.

But, it was beautiful with white all over it…it was a killer whale, or a shamu. It went in with a big splash, but from the sky it looked small…I could tell it was probably big. We should totally do that! "We'll see Angel, now's not the best time." She sighed, and I knew we would probably end up doing that. "Alright, here we are!" She stopped over the water. "What do you mean?" _Uh, Angel, we're over the ocean. _I sent her the thought and looked down. "Yep, and it's the safest house yet!" She dove down into the ocean, with Fang and I right at her heels. We went down, down, and down some more, until we reached…THE BOTTOM!

Angel saw the look of shock and terror on my face and sent me a thought. _The safe house is down here, Max. No one will ever find us…never. _I couldn't help but smile, maybe we can finally live a peaceful life…far away form civilization and normality! Okay, that sounded so great, because everyone knows I will NEVER live a normal life…I have wings you retards! We stopped at a big and really cool looking house, it had at least fifty different parts to it. There was a pink part and a part made entirely of windows that had a walkway to look out over the ocean and feel like it was entirely around you, a black part, a white part, a green part, and a part that looked like a cherry. It was literally a big red ball with a green stem that had a few windows here and there…I figured there was an elevator so you could look out over the ocean. And in the middle there was a HUGE cream colored circle with windows on the top, I looked carefully and got a glimpse of the inside…and good god it was cool.

_We need to go to the air lock entrance chamber. It's just ahead. _Angel pointed to a small glass dome in the very front of the house. We swam to it, feeling immobile. It took us a long time to get there, and it was less that fifty feet away. Did I mention I hate swimming at the bottom of the ocean? This is why. So we got there and Angel pressed her hand against the scanner thing. "Angel, six years old, youngest member of the flock, blonde hair and blue eyes, welcome." It said in a female, yet robotic voice. She went in and it closed before we could follow. I pressed my hand next. "Maximum Ride, fourteen years old, eldest member of the flock and leader, sandy brown hair and brown eyes, welcome." I never thought of my hair as a sandy brown. Once inside I listened as Fang did the same.

"Fang, fourteen years old, second in command, black hair and brown eyes, welcome." Fang came inside. I was busy looking around, it was so cool. And we were only in the dome. Angel pressed a small red button and the doors opened, I saw my flock all seated on a big couch that wrapped around half the room. There was a huge…and when I say huge I mean Imax size, TV in the front of the room. In front of the flock there was a large coffee table with a vase in the middle. There were not flowers in it, there were just beads that had our names on them. "Max, oh my god! This place is amazing!" Angel was looking around too.

"I love it here! And it's safe!" Gazzy looked at me after his little excitement spurt. "Can we stay?" The entire flock looked at me. "I want to see this joint first!" They all cheered. "The CSM lady said we had to wait for you guys before we saw our rooms…I think she'll be here soon. She set off to the kitchen…something about dinner." I looked around…I want that kitchen! "They wouldn't let us see anything but the living room." I sighed

"Alright flock, this place is…tight. And luckily it's big enough for us. I'm hoping we won't feel trapped here, and it looks pretty cool. But, it's at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, right by Sea World, and being stuck in the bottom of the ocean isn't very cool. But then again, we can just swim to shore. But remember the submarines, and Mr. Chu. We never killed him, and he _is _slightly nearby." The entire flock was listening contently. "Exactly! The CSM created this house so only the six of us and Total can enter it. Each way inside and out is protected by hand scanners, only able to read our hand prints. This place is equipped with everything we need to keep us safe…and happy." Iggy flashed a grin at me. "Alright, we'll see how it works for a few days, but if anything goes wrong we're off." They all cheered again.

"Hello flock. My name is Robert Evans, the head of the CSM. I created this house for you, based off your personal likings." He was talking from the TV, like those spy mission sort of things. My leader instincts kicked in and I stepped forward. "Hi, I'm Max, the leader, and this is Fang…my second in command." I beckoned for Fang to come forward. "When did you get so formal?" He whispered. I nudged him playfully. "Hello, Max…Fang. Nice to meet you, even though I already know almost everything about you, I do hope you enjoy the house I've built you."

I nodded and gave off my charming smile. "There are some things you need to now before you begin living here. Every bedroom in this house is secured with a hand-scan lock. If it's your bedroom the lock will only open to your hand, the others would have to ring the bell. We've created each bedroom specially for yourself as an individual. We're assuming you'll love them, we also have a really large downstairs filled with everything you'll need, such as a flying room, battle arena, and specially for Nudge, a salon. Everything is equipped with materials you might need. Oh and by the way, in the battle arena we have flyboy and Gozen simulators, just as strong and all, the key word for when you get too tired is Maximum." I smiled. "That's flattering, anything else?" Rob smiled.

"In each room we have a smart TV, touch screen edition, it gives you whatever you want. Such as in the bathrooms you choose a hairstyle and it gives you the materials you need…enjoy your house guys." The TV clicked off. "Well…this should be fun." I whirled around, there was a lady that looked to be in her twenties or thirties standing there. She had brown hair and glasses.


	4. Dinner and a Hot Mess

"Hello, my name is Valerie Dzublinski; I am here to give you a tour of Smart Home Itexicon Trap. S.H.I.T for short." The whole flock burst out laughing, even Fang. "Yes, yes, I know…funny name. The house is equipped with traps to get rid of intruders, we assume you'll be safe here…especially from this Itex place. I believe you should be ready now?" She gestured impatiently to a large white pod with a bunch of seats in it. "Step inside of the Tran-Pod, please." She said, as we all stared at it. I got in first and looked around the chairs were comfy and there were like…fifty buttons around the circular walls. "This pod is connected to a track that goes around the entire house…but you can always walk if you need the exercise. First up, kitchen." She clicked a button and the pod started zooming through the halls, but stopped shortly after it started.

The kitchen was awesome, marble counters, wood floors, a big island, billions of cooking contraptions. "Specialized to fit Iggy's cooking needs." Iggy smiled. "Next stop will be the dining room." We zoomed to a large room with a big table in the middle. It had a black wood base and a glass surface, each chair had a silky red cushions and a black wood…outer part. "You've seen the living room, and each bedroom is being saved for later, so we can skip to the arcade. We zoomed for a while, past doors that had name plates on them, Max, Fang, Angel, Nudge, Iggy, Gasman, and Guest. We stopped at a room with purpled doors that opened automatically. "This is sick!" Gassy ran by every machine. It had everything; air hockey, DDR, and a quadrillion arcade machines. "We can walk from here." She opened another door. "This is the flying room; you can fly anywhere you like, while you get the scenery." She flipped a switch and the walls and ceiling changed form night to day. The room was huge, wide, and vast. It was my favorite by far.

She opened yet another door and began to walk down a set of fancy stairs. "This is the basement; it's filled with places you'll each love individually. "For Max we've put in a cookie parlor. You press a button and it gives you cookies, the type depends on which button you press. But of course, anyone can use these rooms. For Iggy we've made a bomb shelter, it's a metal, secured dome so that he can make any bomb and it won't effect anyone…or anything. For Fang we built a computer room. It has webcams and computers and everything you need to blog and record and such. We ask that you not give your current location. For Nudge, as you know, we have a salon. It has chairs and baths, and everything you need to pamper yourself and each other. It also comes equipped with tutorials and such for…hair and such. You'll find any materials are just a button press away. For Gasman we have put in a secured dome, so he can use and practice his…ability, without killing anyone. And lastly, for little Angel, we put together a teddy bear factory. You can make your own stuffed animals here, and it's easy! Ask for any kind you like and you just have to stuff it and get it sewn and dress it in the clothing provided." She smiled at us all. "So…basically you built her a personal build-a-bear?" Her smile faded. "Basically yes, but we like to think it's more advanced. Next we have a pool and Jacuzzi." She opened a big door and showed us what she really meant. It was like an indoor water park, it had a slide and a diving board and a water fall…oh my! "You'll find the scenery in here changes too." She flicked it to night and winked at me and Fang. Can we say, scary!

"For the end of our little tour, we have a battle arena. So you can keep tact with your fighting skills…here give it a try." She pressed a button and a few flyboy simulators marched out. "Go!" The lady bellowed. The bots started to attack us on the mat. They were just as strong…and I found it kind of scary. I hit one in the face, and then got hit back. I smirked and hit it hard; it fell in a pile of nuts and bolts. I loved hitting them in the weak spot and watching them crumple. Once they were finished she released a Gozen. We hadn't found out how to destroy him yet. So after cruisin' for a bruisin' Fang finally yelled the right word and they stopped. I loved that my name was the code word…I don't know why.

"Alright, I'm sure you'll beat him some day. Anyways, let's finish off our tour with a nice meal." I watched as half the flock almost started drooling. We got into the pod…that was following us or something, and took off to the kitchen. "I've made a pot roast, with mashed potatoes and gravy, and some salad." I stared in shock at the counter that had big bowls of food on it. There were six big bowls. A normal sized bowl and a small bowl…almost a dog bowl. Uh-oh…Total hopped into my arms and craned his neck. "Woman, do you know how hungry I am? And you give me a dog bowl! I am no normal dog…as you can tell. You must be quite uncivilized to think I am to be treated like this. I mean, is this a dream house or what, and I'm still treated like a dog!"

The look on her face made me laugh, maybe the hardest I've ever laughed. Watching me laugh probably made the flock laugh too…maybe harder than me. "You're-you…your dog is talking." She smoothed her skirt and tucked her hair behind her ears; I could tell she was trying to pull herself together. "Yeah, that's Total for ya; oh did you notice the wings on him too? Or even the fact that he's a mutant just like us? Total is a flock member just like me, he's helped us in fights and everything. Plus, he's got a mean sense for culture. I hope you've got a place for him here, too." Total got teary eyed and Angel couldn't have looked happier. "Max…" I held up a hand to stop Total from going into speech.

"Well, it came to our understanding that you have a dog. We built an addition into Angel's room. It's not very big, but we were hoping that he would enjoy it, assuming he was like any other dog…but clearly he's…" _Watch it here lady, or you're goin' through the dome. _"Special, unlike any other dog we've seen." I smirked, noticing her struggle for words. "Can we eat, please? We haven't had a decent meal in a while, considering we just spent a couple months in an army school…or whatever." She looked taken aback. "Aren't you a little young to be training in the army?" She clearly was just hired. "We were on a mission! So either we eat or I go to bed." She grabbed a few bowls and handed them out. "It's the salad…to start." Hey, I just wanted it all at once, but I guessed while there were adults around we had to be civilized. I dug in, once at the table, tasting the vinegar-y goodness of the dressing, and the sweet zing in the tomatoes. It was the perfect salad.

There wasn't a chair for Total; Val was sitting in the seventh. He was eating on the ground like a good boy, muttering things every so often. Then Valerie stood up, "I'll go get the main course." She muttered and walked out. "Alright, that lady's got a major stick up her butt. Angel, what 'cha got for me?" Angel looked at me, her big eyes shimmering. "She thinks we're spoiled brats that think we can get anything we want, the type of people that think our dog is a prince." Total gave an outraged huff from my feet. "Also, she's in the kitchen swearing to herself right now." I stood up and slammed the door open, slamming it behind me. "Listen chick, my six year old in here can read minds, so I suggest you shut it before things get ugly." She looked genuinely scared, pssh I bet I looked genuinely scary. I pointed at her, like the punk guys do in movies as the mysteriously back away. I went back to the dining room holding back laughter, Angel was giggling. "What happened?" Gazzy asked. Angel must've sent a mental picture because the whole flock started cracking up. "You seriously did that Max?!" Iggy had water coming from his nose.

She came out of the kitchen with huge plates of meat 'n taters. "After dinner, you're free to do as you wish." I sighed and took like five huge bites of it on one fork.

I wasn't even hungry anymore, just moderately full. But I ate it all anyway, groaning and standing up simultaneously with the flock. "Are you leaving?" I asked, praying deeply the answer would be yes. "Well, yes, but first I must give you each these." She handed out cell phones. "They're i-phones, really great phones. We've given you each the numbers you need." She sighed. "Goodbye, have a good sleep." She walked back to the living room and I let out a sigh of relief.

"So, what do you guys wanna do?" I asked, hoping not to get fifty answers at once. "I'm really tired Max, we should just go to bed." Angel said, watching the inky water swirl outside the nearest window. "Good idea, honey. If anybody has objections, feel free to do what you want. But first we should see our rooms." I hopped into the pod and clicked the first room I saw, it was Fang's. We stepped out, it was almost completely black. There was a plush white rug to give it contrast. He had a big computer desk, and a bathroom with black tiles…it was pretty cool. There was also a door that had a gold label. MAX'S ROOM. I was wondering why our rooms were adjoining, when Fang opened the door into my personal paradise. It was all glass, looking over a bunch of the ocean. There was a circular bed with a big white comforter and soft pillows. There was one wall _filled_ with pictures of my flock. All of us together, Angel, Gazzy, Fang…wow, Iggy, and Nudge. These pictures all looked professional. Fang looked amazing, and he was smiling! "I'll see your rooms in a few guys. Maybe…yawn…tomorrow." They all left for the pod, leaving just me and Fang.

"Max, I was just wondering…if you wanted to go swimming?" I looked around…there was a closet full of clothes. "Sure…just let me get changed into a bathing suit." He left through the door.


	5. super fast auther's note please read

**Hey guys. I am so sorry, I noticed how long it's been since I updated. OMG! I am soooo sorry. I forgot about this story! Can you believe it? Hey, if it's more than 2 days since I update I would be glad if you would send me a quick PM reminding me!**

**I'm not stupid. I just lead a busy life…my mom's pregnant and all. LOL! Anywhooo, I love you guys so much! Not in a creepy McCreep Creep way. But a 'you're so awesome I could kiss you' way. Okay…that's a little creepy. LOL! Bye!!!!!**


	6. Romancing The Stone

So, mucho closet problem…everything was girly. There were like fifty bathing suits, and the closet was a huge walk in…same glass and all. There were bikinis and tankinis…no one-pieces. I grabbed a white bikini with black polka dots; it was the simplest one I could find. I hadn't showered in two days, which is a plus…trust me. I was clean enough. So, I went to the bathroom and brushed through my hair. I didn't look too bad in the bathing suit, I mean, I'm fourteen years old and hardly eat enough, I'm probably too thin. But, at least I'm not fat, and a crap load of muscles make up for the thinness.

I sighed and grabbed a towel, just as I got a knock on the door. I hitched the towel under my arms. Did I mention how cool my bathroom was? It had blue tiles and a walk-in shower; there was a smart TV right by the sink that gave me the brush…sweet! "Ready yet, Max?" I opened the door; Fang was wearing a black bathing suit with gray flowers on one side. I smirked. "Flowers make you look tough." He grinned…like the biggest grin ever! We left my room and got into the pod, and I didn't feel awkward when he grabbed my hand and swung it gently as we walked down the rest of the hall to the pool.

The switch was still on night, which neither of us bothered to deal with. I dipped my toe in the water…it was kind of cold…like the ocean water. I recoiled, it wasn't _as _cold as the ocean, but it was chilly. "What, too cold for the indestructible Maximum Ride?" Fang was right behind me. I looked at him and jerked a thumb at the water. "Feel it!" He walked over to it and leaned over. _Dipstick. _I thought mercilessly, and then shoved him in. "Not cool!" He yelled, spitting out water. He looked funny; his hair was all frazzled and wet. I giggled and immediately snapped my mouth shut. Maximum Ride _does not giggle!!!_ In the next second Fang was gone…he'd disappeared. "Fang?" He laughed, but didn't become visible. "Looks like somebody got a power-up." I said nervously.

I felt two hands around my ankles, and I was pulled in, but before I hit the water and invisible Fang caught me and held me over it. "Drop me and you die!" I hissed. "As long as you get the pleasure of killing me, that's fine." His arms lowered and I was in the water. He was visible again. "Jerk!" I yelled. "Hey, I didn't drop you, and you specifically said not to _drop_ you…so I lowered you." It was true; I was still bridal-style in Fang's arms. "You should be a lawyer." I muttered. Then I was dunked. I couldn't feel the comforting support of Fang's arms anymore, just the unforgiving chill of the pool water. I opened my eyes and looked around, Fang was swimming after me, and so I kept swimming away, as fast as I could. Did you know I can even _swim _at super speed? Neither did I.

There was an underwater tunnel, leading right into the ocean…I chose to keep things fair and not go through it. Then he grabbed my ankle and pulled me back toward him. I was face to face with him, standing stiffly against him as he held me in place, under water. Granted it was like ten feet deep, but I was feeling comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time. Is that even possible? He whirled me around and wrapped an arm around my stomach, going invisible again. He was dragging me toward the bubbly part where there were jets. I was just letting him drag me there. Out little kid-fest seemed like ages ago. Suddenly it was tense and…romantic? We came up slowly, despite the gills we both took in deep breaths. He was still freaking invisible!

He lifted me up on the bench thingy so I was sitting with my shoulders out of the water and went visible. He was close…really close. His lips touched mine gently, as if testing the waters…get it, water…oh never mind. I leaned forward and pressed them together. His hands came up to my back, making circles between my wings. He'd done that the first time we kissed like this too. I put my hands on his shoulders and lifted myself above him, wrapping my legs around his waist. If my mind was working right now, I would not have done that. I could feel Fang's heart beating, along with my own which was like a billion times harder.

I remembered kissing Fang, and how much I loved it. But suddenly, my fear was coming back. _Just breathe through your nose, and don't think. _I kept telling myself that but it wasn't working. I pulled away a little bit, making sure I wouldn't run, and let myself fall back onto the bench. Fang looked confused, but pushed himself up next to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I wanted so desperately to run, but I needed…no, _wanted_ to be strong. I leaned into him and rested my head on his shoulders. "Do you think we should stay here?" I asked weakly. Fang glanced at me. "The kids seem to love it, Angel isn't picking up anything bad, and it's pretty cool. But, the decision to stay is yours." I sighed. He's never a great help when it comes to my decision making.

I stood up, "I'm tired, and I think I'll just go to bed." He came out after me and handed me my towel and we walked to the pod, but something caught my eye. I stuck an arm out to stop Fang and took off running down the hall. He was right behind me. I stopped and turned around. "COOKIES!" I yelled and barged into the cookie room…place…thing. I pressed the button for chocolate chip while Fang did peanut butter, and we began to munch down on the chewy goodness. "These…are…better…than…moms." I said between chews. I hated to admit it, but it was true. Fang nodded in agreement. "Can your mom even make chocolate marshmallow batter cookies?" I shrugged. After we ate a million cookies, I looked up and saw the rest of the flock staring, mouths agape. "OMG, Max, did you know there's a toy room? You can any toy known to man and -" Iggy shushed her. "What are you guys doing?" I smiled. "Eatin' cookies…who wants some?" They all cheered, calling me the coolest and whatnot. "So…er…what were you guys doing?" I asked later on. "We were zooming around the house." I noticed they had all possessed some sort of mobile toy, skate boards, roller blades, and bikes. "We wanted to see if you guys wanted to come, so we brought you both skate boards." Hey, you may not know this about me, but I love skate boarding! And so does Fang. I grabbed a skateboard and took off through the long halls, my flock behind me.

Music started playing, and we passed and indoor skate park. I hadn't seen that. We made a quick left and entered. There were ramps, rails, and all sorts of cool things. I hit the biggest ramp there and did a kick flip. The whole flock was watching me form down below. Angel's sweet little voice filled my head. _Fang thinks you look hot. And he also can't believe his girlfriend can do a kick flip in mid-air. _I smiled at her, then saw

Fang give her a glare.

I stopped as I was coming back down the ramp. "Are you guys just gonna stand there and watch me all day, or what?" They ran up to the ramp and climbed to the top. Did I mention how big it was? There's only one way to sum it up, _ginormous!_ I zipped past them as I jumped into the air and flipped. 


	7. RUN!

Okay, so after our little escapade in the skate park, the kids all wanted me to see their rooms. The fact that I was tired, a little hungry, and wet, didn't matter to them. So we went to Angel's room. It was all plush and pink; her bed was huge with a furry bed spread and a million stuffed animals. The floor was a plush carpet like Fang's, and she had a large doll house, maybe as tall as me, on the far wall. Total's room had a big dog bed and a few windows. His room was complete with a picture of Akila with candles and roses around them. Now that they're getting married, he must be devastated he can't see her.

Iggy's room was all white, and he loved it. He could see perfectly. His bed was a large California King (**It's a king size bed with 4 inches thinner and 3 inches longer)**; he seemed to take pride in having the biggest room in the house.

Gasman's room was…smelly, we all gasped when we walked in. He had a normal full size bed with green covers and a really big bathroom. It was the plainest bedroom in the house, nothing very special about it.

Nudge loves cherries. She absolutely loves them. The room smelled like cherries, and everything looked like cherries. She even had a big cherry chair in the middle, with a big cherry TV. It was pretty cool. The elevator took you over to an amazing view of the ocean. Her bed was a big cherry with a hole in it, leading to a round bed with twinkle lights above it. It was actually a really cool room.

So after we dropped the rest of the flock off in their rooms, Fang and I went to ours. When we got to my room and walked in the TV was on, and a woman was on it. "Max, Fang! This is important!" I stared at her as she took a deep breath. It was Brigid; her hair was died again to a brown. I needed to resist saying, "Oh, how's our favorite underage doc", in a baby voice. Then I remembered her talking to the men in the suits, and my voice telling me not to trust her. "Itex wants you, Max. Now The School is back, and demanding that they stay away from you. Now there are big issues, the two corporations, once merged together, are falling apart and fighting, over you!" I tried not to smile, that's just so flattering. Wait a minute, how would she know this? Oh, duh, she's one of _them_!

I grabbed Fang's arm and pulled him to the bathroom. "We'll be right back; I need to discuss something with Fang." I smiled and yanked him in. After slamming the door, I grabbed my skateboard, along with his and put them on the floor. "Fang, she's one of them. A while ago I saw her talking to some guys in suits, and I was told not to trust her. This is a trap." He stared at me. "But, she's been helpful. There's no way." I punched him, my stress was coming out. "Fang, I'm not kidding. She wouldn't know this unless she had inside sources. The only inside sources are the white coats." I stormed back out of the bathroom. "Brigid?" She turned back, "Yes, max?" I took a deep breath. "Can you get in this house without us opening any doors?" She smiled. "I can understand why you might want me there. Yes, I have access into your home. I can be there in a few hours." The TV clicked off.

The things currently going through my head: _Crap, we need to get out of here, Fang trusts her still, and she can get in. _I ran to the bathroom, then my closet, grabbing a pair of black skinny jean, a blue tank top, and a gray sweat shirt with purple stripes on the inside. It had two thumb holes, so I threw it on. I loved this outfit, mostly because it was plain, not boyish, and comfy. After taking a quick shower I ran to Fang's room, he was wet, with a pair of skinny jeans on and not shirt. I ran to his closet and threw a black t-shirt at him. "Fang, grab any clothes you think you will need, or want, get any bathroom essentials, and pack a bag." He sighed, giving me the 'you're too paranoid' look.

He came back out in a minute. "Max, we can't leave. The kids love it here, and it's safe." I sighed, counting to five and opening my eyes. "Fang, its awesome here and all, but there's a person coming to kill us. We're leaving, to keep the flock safe." I said, all too calmly. "Max, Brigid is not evil." I wanted to scream. He is so crossing the line here. "If you tell me she's not evil again, I will hurt you! She is coming to kill us, I know is!" I screamed, going through the door to my room and slamming it. This was going to be a problem in the future. I ran through the halls, knocking on doors and yelling to pack bags and take showers.

I stayed in my room, running down the tube to the dome, to watch and make sure. When I caught glimpse of a few lights in the water I darted back to find the flock. They were sitting in the living room. "Flock, where's Max?" The TV was on, Michael Papa was talking. "I'm right here." I walked to the front. "I'm right here." He looked really thankful. "I'm glad you're still alive. You know about Itex and The School, from Dr. Dwyer. Well, we didn't know it, she did somehow. I'm getting leads that she's working with them, and she's highly dangerous. She's on her way." The TV clicked off, and I glanced at Fang out of the corner of my eye. "Angel, can you please fill the flock in, Brigid's coming and we need to get out of here. I walked up to the TV. There was a pad of buttons, I read the carefully. Let's see, snack bar, hover craft…cool, mini submarine. I clicked the submarine button. A blue diagram of the house appeared on the TV. "The mini submarine is located here." A section of the house lit up. "There is a button in your mobile pod. To operate this contraption, you need two people. In the click of a button it will be able to operate. It comes complete with a snack bar and and…" The rest was all blah, blah, blah to me. "Okay, get in the pod now." Once we were all inside I heard _her_ calling us. I grimaced and punched the button. We zoomed to a small glass dome, which opened to my hand.

Floating in the ocean water was a little submarine, that wasn't very little, but for a sub it was small. It popped open, and I hopped into the first seat and yeanked Fang into the second. The flock sat down on the long couch together and started looking around. "Welcome." It said as I pressed the green button. It slowly began to sink.


	8. There's a Wall Between Us

Total was sleeping, as well as all the others. Fang and I were steering around the bottom of the ocean, not saying a word to each other. Honestly, we had no clue where to go, but that was fine…I think. Finally, I flicked it onto auto pilot and swiveled my chair so I was facing Fang. "That didn't last long." I said/whispered. He nodded. I began to examine the buttons.

The big glass window in front of me suddenly held a man. "Max, we've got you under radar. Brigid was at the house when we arrived, she was looking for you. We have her here." He yanked Brigid by her hands over. "Max, Fang, what is gong on?" She was so totally faking it. "Brigid, you're caught red handed. There's no trying to hide it. We have all evidence pointing in your direction. You've put Max's flock in danger." The man said angrily. I stifled a laugh at her fake shock.

"Er, excuse me?" They both turned to me. "Put the chick in the slammer for all I care. I want her away from my family. And, Mister, can you send me like…coordinates. I have no clue where we are." He smiled warmly, nodding. The window turned blue, and a yellow map coordinate popped up. "Welcome, navigation system, activating." These robot ladies were cracking me up. "Identification?" I stared at it. Ten seconds later it processed into my mind. "Maximum Ride." I said firmly. "Thank you. Current location: 365 feet. Desired location?" I wasn't sure what to say here. "Um…Smart house?" I guessed.

"Which one?" It asked. My eyes widened an inch. Fang and I looked at each other. "Surprise me." It began to map out the ocean, a few green dots came into view. This was the coolest thing I have ever done, which might be an understatement, considering the millions of things I've done. A few seconds later, after the auto pilot started, I sighed and sat back in my seat. "May I interest you in some snacks?" It asked. "Yes, _please_!" I said. A ding came up, and a plate popped out of the slot, filled with cookies. I grabbed one and stood up. There was a small hall between the two couches, so I decided to look around.

There was a bathroom, and a curtain, I flung the curtain open. It was a ladder. I motioned with my finger to Fang. He was behind me in a second, as I began to descend the steps. My shoes made clickng noises as I just hopped off and hit the ground in a crouch. Fang climbed down next to me. It was a really thin hall. So, Fang decided to attempt to walk next to me. That didn't work. At the end of the hall was a door. I nervously pushed it open. I was expecting: Erasers, flyboys, M-geeks, white coats, and Brigid Dwyer, all in one room. You were expecting: Something cool. Well, you know how I'm always right? This would be one of those times.

JUST KIDDING!!

Nah, it was something cool. It was actually a room filled with bunk beds. They all had a plain black comforter and white fluffy pillows. "Well…this could be compromising." Fang muttered. I'd forgotten he was there, so I turned around, coming face to face with him. Two arms went around my waist. "We should go get the flock." I whispered, trying to resist wrapping my arms around his neck. "Yeah…I guess so." He whispered. I started to walk, but a wall came down, stopping me from moving at all. About three feet behind me, another wall came down. Fang and I were trapped, and it was pitch black. "Um…what just happened?" I asked, getting closer to Fang. "I…I don't know." He grabbed my hand. I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket. The light illuminated Fang's face.

"Now would be a good time for you to come up with a plan, not text your boyfriend." Fang said. I gave him my best "so not helping" look. I called Nudge, knowing she would wake up easiest. "Max! We've been looking everywhere for you! Where have you guys been…no where are you? Did you go swimming without us? How are you using your cell phone in the water? I-." I cut her off. "Nudge!" I screamed. "Go back into the litte hall and pull back the curtain, climb down the ladder. At the end of the hall there will be a wall. Fang and I are behind the wall." I pressed the 'hang up' button on the screen.

There was banging on the wall. "Max, Fang!" I sighed with relief. "Guys, in here!" I yelled. Their voices were muffled. "We'll be right there, Iggy and Gazzy are going to make a bomb!" I heard their retreating foot steps. Fang was getting closer, he pushed me gently aginst the wall. "Hey." He whispered. I smiled up at him. Fang was getting…romantic. Just when he was about to kiss me I heard a loud boom, and the wall to my left bent a little. "Dang it, bombs just don't work like they used to!" Iggy yelled. I knocked on the wall. "Guys, take it easy! Don't forget we're in a sub that can spring a leak. Some of us don't have gills yet!" I heard a small cough from the other side, and a few stomps. "I _told _you guys to try it! You still use those stupid masks, don't you?" Angel…she sounded pretty cold.

"Chill out guys! I think you made it weak enough!" I kicked the wall, it bent some more. At the top there was a small hole, but it was so cramped, I couldn't move. "Fang, you may want to step back…just a tad." He let go of me and moved back. I jumped and grabbed at the edge, pulling my self through. Fang came out after me. "That was weird…maybe this thing is booby trapped." I looked around, not seeing anything suspicious, then turned to Fang. "Alright guys, I have a bad feeling about going back to the house…we need to talk with the CNN guy." We climbed back up to the controls.

Angel screamed. We all kind of screamed after that, for we were floating slowly to our doom.

**MWAHAHAS**

**I is an evil little girl. I want at least ten reviews, or else…this story vill be terminated.**

**I would like to say thanks to Kara Nicole, her review was very nice. It encouraged me to write more!...tehe…and a cliffie compels all to review, correct? Yes. Click that button, what's the harm? Please? PURTY PLEASE???!!! I will give you cookies!!**

**RISSA!! Look, a bunny. **

**() ()**

**( ' . ' )**


	9. Someone Is out to get me

There was a wall made of rock in front of us. No cave, no big crack, just a huge wall. We were heading straight for it. "Fang!" I screamed, leaping _over_ Iggy and into the controls. I switched off the auto pilot and yanked the joy stick thing over. The sub didn't move and inch. "You know, the people on my blog would love this." I pulled harder. "There won't be a blog if you don't help me!" I screamed, my voice sounding strained and shaky.

Steering wasn't working, so I looked for a button. "Max, what are you doing?!" A man on the screen yelled. I pulled again. "More like, what is yur sub doing! I'm trying to save us!" He looked around. "Uh-oh." He trailed off. "Max, press the eject button! Somebody else is controlling the sub!" I looked frantically around. A small red button looked convincing, I punched it. "Would you like a chocolate sundae?" It asked. "No!" I screamed. I tried another button. "Emergency. Ejecting in five." I looked at Fang and started grabbing the flock. "Four." I looked around. "Grab your packs!" I yelled. "Three." Still grabbing flock members, I looked around for Total. "Two." Angel was searching frantically. "Total!" The toilet flushed and he trotted out, looking content. "One." I grabbed him when he started to scream. "Ejecting." We went flying out, the force bringing us near the top of the ocean.

I gulped in some water and swam up, the entire flock behind me. Total wiggled a little, bubble coming form his nose. I pushed him up first, knowing he couldn't breathe under water.

Fang swam up next to me, Iggy holding onto his ankle.

The look he gave me clearly stated that things were getting out of control. We reached the top, some of us gasping for air. "Okay, no mare submarines for the rest of my life." I said firmly, looking for shore. My pack was water proof, so my phone wasn't ruined, thankfully. "Everyone's okay, right?" Everyone was looking fine, kind of wet, but fine. "What do you think of taking of on the water?" I asked. _How the heck do you take off in water. _I let my wings stick out of the water and flapped them. I slowly rose, dripping water on them once I was high enough. "Alright, come on." They began to follow, and I couldn't help but laugh when Gasman accidentally fell back in. Once we were all in the air we began to swim North, knowing that would take us back to San Diego.

"Remember last time you used your inner GPS?" Iggy asked mockingly. "You took us on a wild goose chase and got us locked back in the school!" He laughed, but I wasn't amused. That was serious. I punched him angrily, sending him dropping back to the water, and skimming over the surface, before opening his wings and soaring back up. "That was _so_ cool!" He said, raising his hand in my general direction. I slapped it with a bored expression.

Without warning, I folded my wings in and dropped, doing the same thing Iggy did and soaring back up. It sent a rush of excitement through me that I'd never really experienced. One by one, the flock tried it too. Fang even smiled, not even a little half smile, a full smile that I'd never seen before. I grabbed his hand and pulled him down with me, when he flipped us so he was right above me. I screamed playfully as my plan backfired. Once my back touched the water, he spread out his wings, still holding onto me, and made us surge upward. We both were laughing, while Angel and Nudge made an 'aw' face.

"You're mean!" I yelled, still laughing. My back was a little wet, but other than that, it was fun. "This beats an air show by a land slide!" Gazzy yelled, he was flying vertically and he held out a hand for Angel, making a polite bowing gesture. She giggled sweetly and grabbed it. They twirled, angling their wings carefully. Nudge laughed when Iggy twirled her in the air and they did the same. Fang held out his hand to me, and I tried not to look too surprised. Instead of twirling, we did more of a Rumba. He dipped me, holding me up in the air. I laughed, trying not to giggle. "You don't know what I would pay to put a rose in your mouth." I whispered. He chuckled and dropped he. "Fang!" I yelled, but he went and caught me.

Okay, six mutant bird kids, dancing with each other in mid-air, too good to last right? As Fang started to let go, I heard the whizzing of a bullet flying past my ear. I whirled around. There was nothing but a boat…wait, a boat! I zoomed down, ready to kick some major butt. It was a grizzly man with a beard, squinting at me. "I thought it was some rare bird! She's an Angel! Bart, I shot an Angel!" I shook my head. "I am not an Angel, I am your worst night mare. You shoot another bird, and I _will_ kill you. Birds are important, so stop." I snarled viciously. He cowered back, almost falling off of his chair. I spread my wings and took off, almost falling in my haste.

Then it occurred to me, that man didn't shoot me. Some messed up farts in this world, I swear. The flock was practicing their different formations. "Max, what happened?!" Total yelled, as he glided clumsily toward me. I caught him and sighed, I've been sighing a lot. "I just…warned him about shooting birds." I almost screamed when the whiz of a bullet went by, blowing my hair back. That did it, I zoomed down, the flock following me. I hit the boat with a thud, angrily stomping to the man, but he wasn't there.

"Hello, Max…and company." I whirled around. "I am the head representative of Itex." I pounced at him, yanking him by his arm and throwing him over the rusty railing. He screamed, and went in with a splash. "Somebody go and steer this hunk o' junk away." I snapped. "Max, please don't do this!" It felt good, someone was pleading for my mercy. "No, not until you stop this crap. I'm my own person, so keep away." He spit out some water and gasped for air. I was never taught to respect authority, as most of you may know.

"Max! Gasman hit his head on a metal bar whne he was fighting with Iggy over the wheel, now he's unconscious." Angel ran out, tears in her eyes. "He'll be okay Ange. Can you get anything?" She nodded. I looked back at the struggling man in the water. The boat began to put away. "This isn't over!" The man screamed. "It's just the beginning!" I frowned, the dot of his head finally bobbed into the water and never came back up. He had drowned.


	10. This is News to me

Would it be okay to leave a moving boat in the middle of the ocean vacant? Yes, but I didn't feel like it. So we stayed, slowly making our way to shore. "I am so done with water! I mean, first a house underwater, and then a whacked out submarine?! This just gets worse." I had chosen not to tell them about the _war _over me. Fang kept sending me looks saying 'tell them' and sometimes 'why haven't you told them you idiot!?' it was annoying.

"Okay guys, here's the skinny. After we got the call from a traitorous Brigid, telling us about how Itex and The School are fighting over me, and it's getting out of hand. Apparently, they want me for something. So, we ran. Now we're here and don't know where we are, except forty-five miles from shore." Angel crossed her arms. "Why don't they want _us_? Why is it just you?" I shrugged. "You guys got the good end of the stick. If they had a good advantage and got their hands on me, bad things could happen." Iggy nodded solemnly.

Fang smirked, knowing I'd caved. "Alright, once we hit shore, I say we sleep on the beach, then get a fresh start tomorrow. Maybe fly to mom's house and visit Ella." Nudge stood up and yawned, Gazzy rubbed his head where he'd hit it, and Angel sighed. Fang was still sitting there sending me looks. He was literally having a look conversation with me. So, the rest of the flock went below deck to play truth or dare, while I stayed with Fang to steer. The rusty old boat had a small wheel and dinky radar, so we just used our phones. They have navigation! So I just sat down and clicked around, discovering there were games and all sorts of applications.

"Max, you should see this." Fang motioned for me to come over. His phone had turned black, and white writing scrolled across the page. _Max, it's Jeb. Your mom and I have some news for you. Come…now! _I groaned, Jeb is a white coat who rescued us then betrayed us. Now he's trying to get friendly again. "Alright, we have like twenty minutes till we hit shore, so we'll go see what they plan for us to do." As if on cue, my phone rang. "Max, it's me!" Mom said. "Yeah, okay mom. Where do you want us to meet you?" I heard Jeb talking behind her. "We're on shore, just keep going. Bye…Max?"

"Yeah?" There was more silence. "I love you, sweetie." I smiled, my heart felt warm and happy, despite the terror that was likely to be up ahead. "I love you too." She hung up.

"Cute little love-fest there." Fang said, coming up behind me. "Fang, something terrible is going to happen. I can feel it in my gut." His smirk disappeared. Okay, inward thinking time, my mom and 'dad' want me for some 'news'. What kind of news? What if this is a trap, from Itex or something, to win me over? This is when the voice comes in and helps me, but the voice is gone…hopefully for the better. "Don't worry. I'll be there right by your side." I snapped my head up. "Fang, don't promise me anything. You can't say that you will be there, because they could take away my…everything. They could take away the entire flock and leave me. They could do anything, and I might not be able to stop it this time." I felt the dreaded sting of tears in my eyes.

He pulled close to him in a tight hug. "I believe that no matter what, you'll do great." He kissed my forehead and let go. "But, we're going to hit shore in a few minutes." I sat back down, not feeling like doing anything, so I just threw my phone in my pack and pulled up my zipper as the cool night air began to whip my hair around.

"Land ho!" I jumped when Fang yelled that. "Did you seriously just say that?" I stammered. He smiled. "Come on guys!" I banged on the stairs. "Coming!" They all yelled together. Three shadows were standing together in the distance. I hopped off the side of the boat. "Mom!" I yelled. She ran form the shadows and hugged me. "Oh Max….it's been so long!" She squeezed me tighter. "How do you feel?" She asked. "Fine, why would I feel any worse?" She frowned and gave me a look. Uh-oh…this can't be good.

"Max!" Ella screamed and ran up to me, wrapping me in a tight hug. "Hey Ella. How are you?" She smiled and nodded. "Okay, Max, your mother and I need to talk with you…_alone_." Jeb looked pointedly at Fang. I walked back with them. "Max, this is it. This is the final test in you long journey of tests. It's coming. The Final Battle. But first, there's one more thing coming." I shrugged, it couldn't be as bad as the usual stuff. "You and the flock are going to be working with the FBI, back in D.C., where your mission…" He stopped and looked around. "We can't talk about it here." I was trying to be serious, but all I could think about was, _Maximum Ride, FBI_. COOL! Yeah, I'm a kid at heart.

"What about the CSI? Isn't that the place where you get to be a spy?" Jeb shook his head. "The CSI would be bad for you; you guys aren't good with the whole, blend in and act like you're not packing weapons." I laughed, it was true. "Alright, so first thing in the morning we're taking you guys to D.C., where we've gotten you a relatively small condo. It has three bathrooms and two bedrooms, along with a living room and kitchen. It looks like an apartment, though. Also, just down the stairs there's a pool. Don't use it unless it's night and no one is there."

He handed me a few keys. "It's on the third floor." See, the good thing about being a bird kid with no moo-lah, or daleros, you don't have to pay anybody back when they get you something. "Thanks Jeb." I muttered. I need some help here, should I trust him sonce he's my father, or trust the fact he's a white coat that wants to turn me into a lab rat? Signs are pointing to number one, but i am pointing to number two. So, what'll it be?


	11. DO NOT DO THAT!

My mom sighed and took my hand, leading me back. The flock was playing tag, Fang was sitting with Iggy, and they where talking. I put on a straight face and walked over to them. "Hey, what was all that about?" Fang asked. Iggy turned, looking into my eyes…kind of.

I gave my signature 'tell you later' look and simply shook my head. "Okay, well…my mom and Jeb got us a slightly different house." Iggy stood up. "Alright, well, I'm ready to hit the hay, so let's go!" I walked down the beach to get the kids. They ran up, and Gasman was soaked. "I fell in." He muttered, seeing me look at him. I smiled and ruffled his hair.

"Alright, we have two cars." Jeb said. I walked past him and over to mom. "Where are we staying?" She looked at me briefly. "A hotel." She said, checking her watch. "There will be a jet at L.A.X. waiting for us tomorrow." I looked around.  
"How'd we get to Los Angeles?" I wondered aloud. The rest of the flock hopped into mom's car, so Fang and I were stuck with…_Jeb_. Fang got into the back immediately. I practically pounced over him, hitting the seat on the other side first. Jeb was looking at us weird. "One of you can sit in the front." He said. I shook my head, "Usual routine." I smiled at Fang.

We drove in silence for a while, and Fang's hand was absently creeping toward mine. I tried not to laugh. His fingers laced into mine, and he smirked triumphantly. "Are you two dating?" Jeb finally broke the silence. "Um…I don't know what you're talking about." I spoke a little too quickly. "Yes, well…that explains why you're holding hands." Fang would have squirted milk out of his nose if he had any. "Well…I wouldn't consider it dating…more like…together." I laughed a little at my own statement.

"Well, this would be a good time to tell you this then. Max, we created Fang, not only as a member of the flock, but _for_ you." Fang's eyes widened a little, but just enough for only me to see. "Fang was created to be your best friend, your partner in crime…and when you got older, your _soul mate_." I coughed a little. "That seemed to work out well." I looked at Fang, who smiled at me a little. He leaned forward and kissed my forehead gently. "You taste salty." He muttered. I laughed. "Hey, you swim in salt water, you get salty. It's the circle of salt." The three of us started to laugh.

"Max, you don't trust me, do you?" I looked at Jeb. "No Jeb, I don't…not really. I mean, it's hard to gain my trust, especially after you've lost it."

"That's understandable. But, I can assure you, once…Ari died…I retired. He…I just couldn't continue making things, and knowing that this is what happened to you guys…and Ari." He sniffled a little. "Max, I'm so sorry. I promise I'll make it up to you. I can take the voice out of yur head." I looked at Fang. "It's been gone for quite some time now. Fang took it on. Did you know it can control me?" Jeb nodded a little. "There's a chip implanted in your brain, but I can get it out without causing any damage." I smiled a fake smile and nodded. "We'll see." I muttered.

We pulled up to a fancy looking _Marriot _and a valet walked over to the car. Jeb shoved the keys into his hand and led us to the lobby. My mom, Ella, and the rest of the flock, were already there. I noticed they were grouped together in two's, Nudge and Angel, Ella and Mom, and Gaz and Ig. Jeb looked at me and Fang before going up to the desk. He handed me a room key and gestured to the elevator a few minutes later. Fang and I walked and hit the button for the top floor, according to my room key.

We knew we'd be sharing a room the second Jeb looked at us. I wasn't worried or anything, just filling you in. We went to the last room in the hall and opened it. There were two large beds and a bathroom, complete with desk and TV. "I call window!" I almost jumped over him for the second time today, and onto the bed. See, we flock members prefer places with lots of windows, and love being right by them.

"Fine, you call window, then I call shower." He darted into the bathroom and locked the door. I smiled as the child within me came back out. Creeping slowly, I crawled under his bed, brushing few gum wrappers and empty bottles aside. Fang takes fast showers, so I knew I wouldn't be waiting long.

_Bingo,_ a few minutes later I heard the door creak open. "Max?" I silently snickered. "She probably went to get ice." He muttered. I felt the bed above me lower, and then hit my head. Quickly, I skittered backward. The TV flicked on. "Are you looking for better stain removal?!" Flick. "Please, I beg of you, don't kill him!" Flick. "Oh wow, perfect precision, and the ball goes right in!" Flick. "Six kids with wings made a fast escape from a restaurant in the big apple a few months ago. Now we ask ourselves, where are they now?" I listened carefully. "There have been sightings of a few deformed birds around lately. Also, a while back a set of six children attended a school in D.C. This resulted in a sudden disappearance. Now we have found them, doing air shows for the CNN." _Sigh,_ flick. He'd turned it off and gotten up.

I watched his feet as he paced the space between the two beds. I chose a great timing, when he was turned away from me, I silently got up behind him and grabbed his shoulders. "AHH!" He whirled around and slammed me back onto his bed, drawing back his fist. Iwas seriously laughing so hard that blood almost came out my nose. "Max, don't _ever_ do that again!" He yelled, not getting off of me or letting me up.

I took in his appearance, wet hair, no shirt. He looked _hot_. I mean, I must say, I have seen him with no shirt and wet hair numerous times, but never when he was angry. I was still cracking up. "Go take a shower." He hissed, pulling me up and shoving me into the bathroom. Jeez, he was mad. He slammed the door behind me. The shower was really warm, especially when oyu have it super hot. Did you know that California has really bad water pressure? It's annoying.

I finished after about a half an hour. I sniffed my hair, no more salt, it smelled like the beach and had a hint of flower in it. I was worried, how mad could Fang get? After combing thrugh my hair, I cautiously crept out. Fang was sitting on his bed, watching a movie. He still wasn't wearing a shirt. "Fang?" He just looked at me. "You can't seriously be _that_ mad at me." He sighed and looked away. I batted my eyes a little and walked over to him. "I can prove that you can't stay mad at me." I got closer and kissed him, waiting patiently for him to make up his mind. He pulled me up over him and wrapped his arms around me. After a few minutes, I pulled back and rested my head on his chest. "Told you." I whispered.

Smirking, I got up and walked over to my bed. "Good night…Fangalator." I whispered. He didn't look very amused. "Night."


	12. Dude, She's a Witch

The next morning, we headed down to the buffet, my mom and Ella where already there. "Hey Max, did you sleep well?" I nodded at Ella and took a seat next to Fang. My mom pointed to the buffet. You could make your own pancakes and waffles, as well as cereal and eggs with bacon. I decided to play it safe and take the pre-made things. At the end, there was a little basket of cookies. I took like…ten.

Fang had stacked his plate high with waffles and bacon. He too, took ten cookies. "So, today we're driving to the airport, it's not far, and we're headed to D.C. Okay?' Fang and I nodded. Last night seemed like it had never happened. I finished eating as the rest if the flock came down. I kissed Angel's forehead, ruffled Gazzy's hair, patted Nudge's head, and gave Iggy pat on the back. Total huffed when I failed to acknowledge him, so I scratched his ears. "We're going to change." I announced, gesturing to my pair of boy shorts and t-shirt. Fang had thrown on a black shirt before we came down.

In the elevator, Fang didn't say a word to me. I was getting worried. "Fang, are you okay?" I stressed. He looked at me, and nodded. "Is it about last night?" I whispered. He turned to me. "I never got to finish kissing you." I smiled and flung my arms around his neck. "You could've just said so." I smashed my lips to his. He pushed me against the wall and pressed the button for us. The floors dinged, and I pulled away just before the door opened. We almost got seen by an elderly couple waiting outside the doors.

Once inside the room, he kissed me again. It was a quick kiss, simply ending it officially. I grabbed my pack and hit the bathroom. After throwing together a pair of light blue jeans (skinny) and a purple t-shirt that said _'I Bite' _and had a pair of Fang's on them, I put my hair in a pony-tail and darted back out. "You ready to hit Virginia?" I asked Fang. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans and a black shirt, as per usual.

There was a knock at the door. The flock was standing there looking clean, happy, excited, and healthy. I laughed, Total was wearing a small hat, with a Hawaiian print shirt and little Khaki shorts. "Hey, I wanted to wear some nice clothing too!" He protested angrily. "Alright kids. The jet is ready." Jeb walked up and snapped his phone shut. "Everyone has their cell phones, correct?" Nods. "And plenty of clothing?" Shrugs. "We'll go shopping." My mom cut in.

We had rented a black SUV to take us to the airport. After we passed some big white letters reading L.A.X, I knew we were here.

The jet was nice, it had a few big chairs and couches, a TV and a bar with some stools. I sat on a stool and swiveled around. "Hello, my name is Jacqueline Matthews, I am an agent of the FBI. I'm here to work with you guys on the mission." She shook our hands. I noticed her hand stayed on Fang's for about two seconds longer than it should have. She looked to be about twenty five, with short blonde hair and a professional suit on. "Hey, I'm Max, fourteen, this is Fang, _Fourteen_, Iggy, fourteen, Nudge, eleven, Gasman, eight, don't ask, and Angel, seven." She looked startled when I stated firmly that Fang was fourteen. "How old are you?" I asked with mock politeness. "Forty-nine." She hissed. My eyes widened, and she smirked. _Two can play at that game_. "Max, it's not polite to ask adults how old they are." My mom cut in. I grimaced at the woman and ground my teeth.

"Just kidding, I'm twenty-eight." She smiled warmly at me. Oh, she's good. I don't like it, but I respect it. Fang nudged my arm and pulled me back onto the stool. "Calm down." He whispered gently, making me shiver a little. "Alright, about the mission, it's to take down Itex…and the school. We've got everything we need as far as research goes, we need you. Get inside, get our proof, and get them down." Getting inside…let me think…NO! "There's no way we can get inside! It's protected!" She laughed a little. "Not if you turn yourselves in." Oh, I get it. "That doesn't mean it's not dangerous." I retorted angrily. "Yes, well…the FBI _is_ danger. Certainly you're not…scared." Man, if this woman doesn't stop, she'll get a fist in the face.

"No, I am not _scared_! I'm looking out for my family! You can't have a seven year old working for the FBI!" I pointed to Angel, who looked relatively hurt. _Sorry sweetie, I have all my faith in you, I'm just making my point. _She smiled. _It's okay Max. By the way, this lady thinks you're a brat._ I nodded gratefully to her. "You all have great abilities, and we think you'll come in great handy." Yeah, right.

"We're not tools!" I yelled. A man came out and put a hand on her shoulder. "Okay Agent Matthews, that's enough." Finally, a person with a brain! "Maximum, I understand your concern completely. What we're saying is, the school and Itex both really want you. So we're giving you to them. But it's only to take them down. We've got a few agents disguised as scientists already, and we can assure that nothing bad will happen to you, or you family." I decided, I liked this guy. "Okay, so say…we do take down the school and Itex…then what." He shrugged. "Then, mission accomplished, and you can live a good, happy life." Some flock members cheered, others…yelled.

"Sounds…good, but what if there are still people that want to experiment on us?" He nodded in understanding. "They will be put into jail immediately." Alright, sounds good. "Could I have a minute alone…with my family?" I asked sweetly. "Of course." My mom and Jeb followed him through the curtain.

"Okay guys. Let's make a democracy, all in favor of working for the FBI?" They all raised their hands. "Alright, FBI it is." I yelled loudly, so they could hear. "Fantastic!" A bunch of people in suits came out. "Let's get this party started!" Wouldn't expect to hear that from an agent, now would you? And then Akila walked out, and Total fainted.


	13. Where are you!

**Metropolitan Station, bottom of D.C.- **"Mr. Ter Borcht, I'm sorry!" The crazed scientist slammed his laptop down. "I told you, ze children are up to somtzing!" His assistant started connecting the Wi-Fi networks up again**. "**Find zem, before Itex takes zem form me! I vant zem retired!" Little did the scientists know, the flock was walking just above their heads, on the streets of Washington? Yes, they were.

"Call somevone, anyvone, get ze mutants back under ze radar! Dr. Dwyer has failed!"

"B-but, sir, I don't even know where to begin looking!" The tired assistant pleaded with his boss, wiping some water off of the hard drive. He looked up through the grate, a dog was walking by, her red collar looked familiar, but it was just a dog, a Maltese, to be exact.

"If you do not find zem, I vill use a tazer on you until you die!" The assistant yanked out his cell phone and dialed the number for the main operator. "Mr. Batchelder, can you connect me to the radar…please?" Silence on the other end for a moment. "Listen, I told you, I retired! I don't have the coordinates to the radar, just leave them alone!" He heard a voice on the other end in the background. "Hey Jeb, who are you talking to?" It was Max! "Well, this is interesting!" The assistant yelled. "Where are you!" He demanded angrily.

Jeb hung up on him. "Vat vas zat!" Ter Borcht demanded. "Jeb is with them, sir. He didn't tell me his location!" They both began to gather their things frantically, this was just getting easier.


	14. And the war begins

**Itex headquarters-Tokyo, Japan- **"Mr. Chu, the Itex members form the incident in Germany refuse to help, they claim everything is destroyed from the children's last visit." twirled around in his big chair to face his partner. "They are amateurs if they let the children destroy them. Tell them their help is no longer needed."

The partner opened up his cell phone to call the leader of the Germany incorporates. "Hello?" The woman asked. "Hello, we just wanted to let you know that your help is no longer needed, condsidering you inability to destroy them." There was silence for a moment. "We are not week! I am the director of this entire thing, you can't honestly believe that we are incapable of doing all of this ourselves, or along side of you!"

The man chuckled and flipped his phone shut. The Director was a feisty woman at times, especially when people questioned her abilities. "Mr. Chu, I think we have our Bogie." He whispered, the large screen showed two red dots, and according to the key, it was people from The School. A few lab workers ran into the room, yelling about some random things.

"They're coming! Get…the weapon."


	15. Small Outing, riiiiight

This condo was cool. D.C. was hot and humid, and they had this thing that the natives call 'biblical rain'. It's when you expect Noah and his Arc to pull up at any second. I took the master bedroom. Which there were two, mine had the bigger bathroom though. **A/N: My uncle has a condo/apartment in D.C. just like this. **

The first night there we had to go sight seeing. We passed the White House, and the Capitol, which we got a personal (and boring) tour of. There's this tunnel that goes underground, leading right into it. **There really is, I went in it**! At the zoo we got our taste of that biblical rain. Fang and I were soaked from running to get the car pulled up, which our drivers were sleeping! The kids, on the other hand, got nice and settled in the gift shop.

So, when we got home, I showered and put on my pajamas. I was exhausted; who knew this place had so many sights we'd never seen. Especially once you hit the city areas. Nudge and Angel had gotten the air mattress in the one master bedroom, which was really an office with a bathroom connected to it. Ig took the couch, while Gasman took the chair, and Fang took my bedroom with me. Seriously people, get your mind out of the gutter! It's not like that!

We all crammed into the living room, which held two chairs and a couch, with a flat screen TV. Fang slid underneath me onto the couch before I got to sit down. "Move, I was going to sit there!" I yelled angrily, and childishly, but whatever. He smirked and shook his head. Same old Fang. I just sat on him, and was surprised to feel him spread out a little and wrap his arms around my waist. I just love him.

"Alright, I want to watch this move called Fast and Furious." Gassy announced. "No, its rated PG 13." He looked disappointed. "I'm sorry, buddy, but you're still only eight years old." Angel got up and grabbed a more appropriate movie. "Thank you, Ange." I muttered.

Smiling sweetly she shoved it into the CD slot, and then looked at me and Fang. "What are you guys doing?" She whispered. I looked at Fang. "Fang was being mean, so I sat on him." Nice cover. The movie started playing, but by the time it was half-way through, the flock was asleep. It was just me and Fang…again. "Alright." I whispered, getting up and stepping over a few bodies. After clicking the TV off I turned around to Fang, who had lifted up Angel and Nudge and was walking down the hall to their bedroom.

I put Gazzy down on the chair and attempted to move Iggy to the other end of the couch. Fang was still in the girls' room, so I walked down there and watched as he put Angel down and, get this, he kissed her forehead. "Wow." I whispered. He jumped and looked at me. I laughed and walked back to our bedroom. "Remember Sam?" Fang whispered when he walked in. I nodded. "Do you think he was an eraser?" I shrugged. "I hope not, that would mean I _kissed _and eraser." He tried not to look affected by that, but you could tell from the slight twitch of his hand and his mouth that turned into a small grimace, he was upset.

"What about that Lissa girl? She seemed…nice, yet annoying." He shook his head. "She was super annoying." I laughed a little. "It's weird to think that we're right near _both _of them." I muttered. Truth be told, I had no reason to not like Lissa, she was perfectly nice to me. I just…didn't like her. Sighing contently, I hopped onto the bed and buried my face into one of the fluffy pillows. "You know what Jeb told me?" I asked into the pillow. It sounded more like, "Roo know wha reb wold re?" Fang heard it fine though. "What?" He asked. I lifted my head up and looked at him. "He told me that there's something coming called 'the final battle'." I made air quotations with my fingers for effect. "Wow…that's interesting." He muttered. My cell phone rang, breaking the small silence that broke between us.

"Hello?" I asked nicely. "Max, it's Jeb. I just was calling to tell you that the FBI is requiring you to attend a small outing, to get to know everyone." My eyes almost bugged out of their sockets. "But-."

"No buts. Look in your closet." I slowly crawled off the bed and crept over to the walk-in closet, hardly aware of Fang's eyes following me contently. I gasped at what I saw. To my left was a clear garment bag that held a crisp black tux, complete with a _bow _tie and flower. And to my right was…a dress. "No!" I screamed into the phone. Never in my life will I wear something so…beautiful and…elegant. I am Maximum Ride for God's sakes, I wear jeans and t-shirts, not dresses and heels. "Max, whether you like it or not, you wear it. Your mother picked it out, and she seemed excited, don't disappoint her." Well…when it comes to mom. "You can't do this to me!" I yelled angrily, I could almost hear him shrug.

"Yes I can." He hung up, leaving me to stare at the terribly beautiful gown. . there it is.

I couldn't help but notice how Fang's flower matched the blue ribbon so well. **A/N: Oh snap! ****./_7kmlOyx4cjQ/SXu_sWey9MI/AAAAAAAAAA8/475e7Atpihc/s320/blue+****, and **then the heels that rested neatly at the bottom of the closet. In a small box there rested a pearl necklace. I screamed, a scream so loud I could have awoke the president. "Max!" Fang ran to the door and looked around. "What the…dresses." He ran his fingers along the satin ribbon, then the rhinestone design. "We're going to a freaking…wedding?" He asked a moment later. "No, a 'small outing'." Air quotes again. I then grabbed his shoulders and spun him around until he came face to face with his suit. Fang's eyes widened really far. "No." He whispered silently. I nodded and patted his shoulder. "I feel your pain."

"This sucks." I muttered, once we were sitting on the bed. "I don't _wear _suits, Max." He was acting like I was the one making him wear it. "Yeah, and I don't wear dresses." I shook my head and slammed my face into a pillow. Fang's hand found it's way to the back of my neck. "It'll be okay." He whispered, sending chills rocketing down my spine. I nodded into the pillow. Later, I fell into a blissful sleep with Fang's hand still resting on the back of my neck.

**AW! How cute! Can we say, ROMANTIC!!?? Next chapter up soon. Sorry about how long this one took, I spent days looking for the perfect dress! Is it just me, or does it look like Fang was trying to strangle her in her sleep? LOL! **


	16. HELP!

I found myself across the room, chair to my left and broken straps to my right. I felt a bunch of sharp pains in my wrists and ankles, so I knew they had made me bleed. I coughed up some dust and a horrible scent of nail polish and shampoo hit me. My dress was dusty and torn, not that I cared. I took a minute to collect my self, and I found that I could only move my fingers, toes, and left hand. "Report!" I yelled, but it came out as a hoarse whisper.

"Nude, Angel?!" This time it was more of a scream. "Maaaax." Nudge whispered, she was a few feet away. I reached out my hand and pushed a few pieces of debris away. She looked terrible. Her arms and legs were bleeding, and a bad cut on her forehead. I grabbed her hand. "Are you okay, sweetie?" I whispered. She shook her head and motioned down. Sticking into her dress where her thigh was a piece of mirror. I mustered up my strength to turn my head. My cell phone was lying on the ground near my hand, I snatched it and clicked the button. It was fine, thankfully. I called Fang.

"Hello? Max, where are you guys?! The ball started a half an hour ago!" I coughed to male my point. "Fang…help." I whispered hoarsely. "Where are you?!" He yelled. A wall fell, and there were a group of m-geeks. "Time to go." They all said together. "FANG!" I screamed. It came out full and loud, just what I needed. "MAX! WHERE ARE YOU!" He yelled. An m-geek grabbed my phone. "Maximum will come with us." It tossed my phone away and picked me up. "ANGEL, NUDGE!" Nudge couldn't move. I saw a tiny bit of blonde hair and a set of legs. The rest was bits of wall. "MAX!!" Angel screamed form underneath. I figured she was fine. They didn't get Angel or Nudge, just me. I punched his head _off_. "ANGEL…Nudge…F-Fang." The last thing I remembered was me screaming the names of the flock members and slowly fading into blackness.


	17. Who is it?

Fang, Iggy and Gasman were at the ball when the girls had to get their hair done. Fang saw Lissa to his great disappointment. "My daddy works for the FBI." She said. _Yes, cool, just go away. _He would think. She followed him around making cow eyes for a majority of the time until Max called and he excused himself. "Hello? Max, where are you guys?! The ball started a half an hour ago!" He yelled. She coughed, and he knew something was wrong. "Fang…help." She whispered. Her whisper was hoarse, and he wanted to scream.

"Max, where are you?" He said. Another crash and he heard a scream in the background…Nudge. "FANG!" Max screamed. It was a loud scream, and Max never screams unless there's a huge problem. "MAX WHERE ARE YOU?!" He screamed this time. "Maximum will come with us." A robotic voice said into the phone. He immediately recognized it as an m-geek. A sound like the phone being dropped and he screamed Max's name into the phone. He could hear everything. "ANGEL, NUDGE!" Max screamed.

"MAX!!" Angel screamed back. He heard a clinking of metal and then

Max screaming again. "ANGEL…Nudge…F-Fang." Her words faded away and there was more crashing, and the entire room went silent. "MAX?!" Fang screamed again. "Fang." Angel whimpered into the phone. "Max is unconscious, and they took her!" Angel started crying. "WHAT IF SHE'S DEAD?!" Nudge yelled, he could hear her voice crack. They both broke into sobs. "Girls, calm down, just tell me, _where are you?_" He demanded. "We're at Shelly's Salon. You'll know because it's a mess." Fang hung up and ran inside. Iggy was dancing with a blonde and Gazzy was eating. "Iggy, let's go, move." He shoved Iggy. The blonde looked at Fang. "_You _want to dance?" She asked, grabbing his hand. "NO!" Fang yelled, shoving her back.

"Max is in trouble, Iggy. We need to go _NOW!_" He yanked Iggy aside and headed right to the buffet table. "NICK, _there _you are!" Lissa flung her arms around Fang's shoulders. "Let's dance." Fang shoved her back and darted after Iggy and Gazzy.

"NICK!" Lissa shrieked in appall. He didn't look back. The love of his life was in trouble, and Lissa meant nothing to him. They tore off their shirts and flew through town, stopping at a small shop with broken windows and dust. Inside were Nudge and Angel, still huddled together and crying. They were bloody and dusty, and Nudge had a shard of glass sticking to her thigh. Fang rushed over with Iggy and they began to remove it with precise motions. "M-geeks took her!" Angel wailed. Gazzy hugged his sister. "She had glass pieces in her arm." Nudge whispered weakly. "She was too strng to notice it. Fang…I think Max is…is….DEAD!" She burst into tears against Iggy's chest, and Fang pictured Max, lying helpless and limp on a hospital bed, her breathing stopped.

An M-geek, surprisingly, showed up with a dusty, girl form in his arms. He dropped her carelessly to the ground. Without a word he marched away through a broken window. Fang cautiously crawled toward the girl's form. He felt her pulse, nothing. After brushing some dust off of her, he recognized the face. He pulled some dust out of her hair and gasped.

**A/N: WHO IS IT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Is it Brigid? OR Lissa? OR of course, is it MAX?!?!**


	18. You can't Be Buried in the Sky

"Max." He whispered. She didn't stir or twitch. All she did was lie there, dead. "MAX!" Nudge and Angel screamed. Fang expected her to move. This time it was real, too real for comfort. Maximum Ride, the great and invincible Maximum Ride was…dead. "No, no, no, please no." Fang hugged her body close to his. She was still warm, but he could tell her temperature was slowly fading. It was a much different embrace. Having her warm body against his, her long, lean arms around his neck, and her soft, pink lips against his, he had never wanted anything so much more in his life.

Having her limp, chilled form lying in his arms, not responding was far too different. All he could see was him and Max, and all he could hear was his breathing and the muffled crying in the background. "Max, what have I done. If I were here for you, you'd still be alive." He expected her to say something Max-ish, like 'Fang, shut up and get the others, we're leaving', but all he heard was himself.

Soemone shaking his shoulder broke him form his daze. "Fang, we need to go. Bring Max." Iggy's tone told Fang clearly that there was still a chance. That if they got her cleaned up and stopped the bleeding they could revive her. Fang held her close and stood up.

Flying didn't help. Memories of him carrying Max after her brain attacks shot through his brain. He just stared blankly ahead, fighting back the side of him that wanted to scream and kick and find her killers and kill them. The hot prickle of tears only made things worse for Fang. For years he had known she was meant for something, for him, for everyone. And now her future, her bright, happy future with him, raising happy little Fang and Max Juniors, it had all disappeared.

He saw out of the corner of his eye as Iggy set off a bomb, waited, and then threw it, letting it blow up in the sky. "What re you guys doing?" Fang asked, less emotion as usual in his voice. "What does it look like I'm doing?! I'm getting rid of these BOMBS!" Iggy threw a few at once. "They're what killed her! SHE WAS MY SISTER!" He shouted to the Heavens. Iggy broke down, dropping a few feet. He sobbed for a few minutes while they flew. Angel and Nudge flew in the back, weeping as they went. Fang was silently in the middle with Max, just thinking. Gazzy was alone in the front. He was too quiet. Fang knew he was coping badly with the death of their leader.

"You can't leave me, Max." He whispered down her. His words were taken away with the wind.

_Flashback:_

_ Fang and Max were sitting in the courtyard of the school when they were seven. They had sent them out to get some air before they died of the antiseptic smells. _

_ "Fang, when I get bigger and I die, I want to be buried in the sky. With the birds and other bird kids, you know?" She said to him, plucking some grass from the ground._

_ "Max, you can't be buried in the sky, one. And two, there aren't any other bird kids. But if it makes you feel better, being buried up there would be cool." The two children smiled at each other and hugged. "Max, I think you're the bestest friend I ever had." He said. Max smiled and gave Fang a small hug. "You too." She whispered. _

The memory was too much. Fang let out an inaudible sob as a tear fell onto Max's cheek. The sight of the tear on her cheek made a few more fall, and he gave her one final kiss. The last kiss that Max and him would ever share.


	19. Grumble, Where am I?

"Where am I?" I muttered blankly. A room that was all white, with no doors. Where was my flock? Better yet, why was I dressed in my usual jeans and a tank? I had bandages all over, and a few bruises up my arms. "What the heck." I whispered to my self. I looked frantically for a way out.

If I managed to get in, there must be a way out. I felt around the walls. Nothing. The floor held no help either, and I doubted the ceiling had anything. The room was tiny, I couldn't spread my wings, and I could hardly reach my arms all the way out to stretch, but it was tall. The ceiling towered above my head by at least fifteen feet. I distinctly remembered a bomb in a salon blowing me unconscious, and some M-geeks coming and taking me. Angel and Nudge were screaming in the background, and I was talking to Fang, screaming his name, and my phone being thrown to the ground by an M-geek.

"Fang." I whispered, knowing how worried he must be without me. Later, when I felt up to it, I decided I would scale the wall and check out the ceiling.

I scarecely remember falling asleep on the cold floor.

**Max is really ooc in this. Catching on now? I wouldn't REALLY kill Max!**


	20. Yep, that's her

Fang had pulled himself together as he laid Max down in the bath tub and wiped all of her cuts. He carefully pulled the glass from her arms, letting it plink into a plastic cup. He called the girls in to bathe her and change her clothes.

While Nudge and Angel bathed Max, the boys sat outside, holding back tears at the sounds of the girls sobbing. Fang knew Max was being bathed in both water and tears. He paced the room, praying silently to himself for Max. He'd only prayed once in his life, and that was at the church. He remembered praying that Max would never leave him, and she'd always be healthy. Now she was dead, maybe he had cursed her. Trying not to cry again, he told Iggy and Gazzy he was going for a walk. He wasn't just going for a walk, he was going to find her killers and kill them, make them suffer the pain she had gone through. M-geeks meant Itex, and that's just where he was going. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Jeb's number.

"Hello?" He sounded like he just woke up. "Jeb, Max is dead. Where is the nearest Itex?" He demanded, not giving him a minute to collect himself. "Under ground. Fang what do you mean?! Max can't die!" Jeb yelled. "Yes she can, and she did." There was silence, cries, he could hear mom crying. "Just tell me where to go." Fang hissed into the phone, making his tone deadly. "Go to the nearest subway station, which is just down the street. Take that. It's closed, as you wlak down the track's you'll see a passageway. Go in, eventually you'll be there." Without a word Fang hung up and darted down the stairs, feeling adrenaline pulse through his veins. He ran with an earth shattering pace down the street. He saw the escalators and jumped, spreading his wings and soaring down them, not wasting his time.

There were the spinning gate things, Fang hopped over them. Just down another escalator was the tunnel. He ran down it, staying off of the tracks. Fang couldn't die before he killed Max's killers. The passageway was hardly seeable. It would explain why nobody ever saw it on the trains. It was damp, dark, and cold. Fang was reminded harshly of when Max killed Ari, her face was horror-stricken in the end. He ended in a room with a bed that looked set up for someone, but nobody was there. The only lighting in the room was over the bed. He heard talking form behind the door. "The girl is in the room. She has yet to find a way out. The cameras show her sleeping." Fang cracked open the door. Two men had their backs to him, and there was a screen with a picture of a girl. The girl was clearly Max.


End file.
